Ball elevator latch for pin game apparatus



March 23, 1.937. B. E. MILLS 2,074,513

BALL ELEVATOR LATCH FOR PIN GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 7, 1935 3 SheetsSheet l 14 I I ifniir @eri 6T Wlz'fih. CLJM B. E. MILLS March 23, 1937.

BALL ELEVATOR LATCH FOR PIN GAME APPARATUS .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug 7, 1955 w 1. 1m i o I o 8 Q6 W W8 mmv 0 r8 m o a @3555 f/nfen 07* 73,91? 6; 77Z/fh, ZLM 4 4 B. E. MILLS March 23, 1937.

BALL ELEVATOR LATCH FOR PIN GAME APPARATUS Filed .Aug. 7, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 P Q \N Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES BALL ELEVATOR LATCH FOR PIN GAME APPARATUS Bert E. Mills, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Mills Novelty Company, Chicag of Illinois Ill., a corporation Application August '7, 1935, Serial No. 35,148

Claims. (01. 273-121) This invention relates to pin ball game apparatus of the type wherein there is provided a downwardly inclined playing board having openings formed therein for receiving a ball which has been 5 projected onto the upper end of the board, there being also provided below the board a movable gate member or panel which is normally held in a position which prevents a ball from falling through the board openings.

In games of this character a manually operable coin controlled mechanism is usually provided for shifting the gate member to ball releasing position, such mechanism usually comprising a coin slide and means for operatively connecting the Slide with the gate member. A ball which is released from the playing board through operation of said gate member is conducted beneath the board to an elevating device by which it is lifted to a position from which it may again be projected onto the board.

The object of the present invention is to provide in a pin game apparatus of the type specified an elevator latch mechanism which is adapted to be moved to latching position upon movement of the gate member to ball releasing position, thereby preventing a ball from being lifted onto the board while the gate member is in a position which allows a played ball to fall through one of the board openings.

Other objections and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown the preferred form in which I have thus far contemplated applying the principles of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a pin game apparatus having the improved latch mechanism embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus looking upwardly from beneath the board;

Fig. 3 is a broken side elevational View of the elevator latch mechanism and associated parts;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section through 5 the latch mechanism, the section being taken on line 4:-4 of Fig. 3 and showing the mechanism in the latched position;

Fig. 5 is. a view similar to'Fig. land showing the mechanism in the unlatched position; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section through the latch mechanism taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

The general construction of pin ball game apparatus with which the improved latch mechanism, is adapted to be used is well understood in 5.1 the art and I shall therefore describe such apparatus only in such detail as is necessary to give an understanding of the mode of operation of the improved latch mechanism. The apparatus is enclosed in a table frame, the side members of which are indicated at 8 and 9, these members being connected by a front wall H and a back wall l2. The top of the table is closed by a glass plate l3, and a downwardly inclined playing board I4 is supported in the frame below plate l3. The playing board I4 is provided with a plurality of ball receiving openings I5 through which a ball which has been directed to the upper end of the board may fall provided it is not deflected by pins l6. If the ball does not fall into one of the openings IE, it ultimately reaches the lower end of the board where it falls into openings H. In accordance with the usual construction of games of this type, a ball is projected onto board M by a manually operated plunger l8 which is slidably supported in front frame wall H, the outer end of I said plunger being provided witha finger piece I9 which may be grasped by the operator to withdraw the plunger against suitable spring tension preparatory to projecting the ball along a channel 2| onto playing board l4.

Beneath the playing board 14 there is pro vided a gate member or panel 22 (Fig. 2) which is slidably supported from board I4 between a pair of guide strips 23, the latter being secured by screws 24 to the under face of board l4. Panel 22 is provided with openings 25 which correspond to the openings IS in board M. An auxillary gate member on panel 26 is supported from playing board I4 beneath the openings I1, said panel being slidably supported from said board l4 by shoulder screws 21 which are received in slots 28 formed in panel 26, the latter being provided with openings 29 which correspond to the openings H in board [4. The main release panel 22 is normally positioned as shown in Fig. 2 with the openings 25 thereinout of alignment with the openings l5 in board Hi. This panel is normally held in this position by coil springs 3| which extend between hooks 32 carried on guide strips 23 and a cross bar 33 which is carried by panel 22. These springs urge said panel 22 forwardly to normally maintain openings 25 out of alignment with openings l5. Similarly, the auxiliary release pan el 26 is normally positioned as shown in Fig. 2

with the openings 29 therein out of alignment with the openings IT in board M. It will be apparent that with panels 22 and 26 in the position shown in Fig. 2, a ball which has been projected onto the playing board will either come to rest in one of the openings l5 or one of the openings IT, being held therein by the panels 22 and 26, respectively.

The panels 22 and 26 are adapted to be shifted by the operator to ball releasing position by a coin slide 34' (Fig. 1) which is slidably supported in the front frame wall H by a guide plate 35. The inner end of slide 34 is bent upwardly as indicated at 36, said upwardly bent portion being adapted, upon inward movement of the slide, to engage a downwardly projecting bracket 3! which is secured by rivets 38 to a bar 39, the latter being connected at one end by bolts 4| to release panel 22, the other end of said bar 39 being provided with a slot 42 (Fig. 2) which receives a pin 43, the latter depending from board I4. The auxiliary panel 26 is connected to bar 39 through a bell crank 44 which is fulcrumed on a pin 45, the latter being carried by a plate 46 which is secured to the under face of board l4. A forwardly projecting arm 41 of bell crank 44 is pivotally connected by a pin 48 to panel 26. A laterally projecting arm 49 of lever 44 is pivoted at 5| to bar 39. A coil spring 52, extending between pin 48 and one of the shoulder screws 21, urges panel 26 to the left, viewing Fig. 2.

It will be apparent from Fig. 2 that when the operator pushes inwardly on coin slide 34, after having first placed a coin in a recess 53 (Fig. 1) formed therein, the upwardly bent portion 36 on the inner end of said slide will move against bracket 31, continued inward movement of the coin slide through a full stroke causing bar 39 and release panel 22 to move rearwardly until openings 25 come into registration with openings l5. This inward movement of coin slide 34 is also transmitted through bracket 31 and bell crank, 44 to the auxiliary panel 26, said bell crank 44 being turned in a counter-clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 2, to shift panel 26 to the right so that openings 29 are brought into alignment with openings With panels 22 and 26 thus positioned a ball which has been held either in one of the openings l5 or one of the openings l7, will fall therefrom through one of the corresponding openings 25 or 29 in said release panels, after which it is free to be returned along a series of run-ways (not shown) to the elevator which lifts it into channel 2|. When the operator releases coin slide 34 panels 22 and 26 are returned to their normal ball obstructing positions by springs 3| and 52, respectively.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown only such portions of the ball elevating mechanism as are necessary to give an understanding of its relation to the improved latch mechanism. This elevating mechanism includes a lifting arm 54 which is moved in a guide-way 55 by manual operation of a plunger (not shown) which is supported in the front wall of the frame below projecting plunger I8, the finger piece which is car ried on the forward end of said plunger being shown at 56 in Fig. 1. Balls falling through playing board M are conducted by run-ways (not shown) to the lower end of guide-way 55. Lifting arm 54 is normally positioned in the lower portion of said guide-way 55 below the opening formed therein through which the balls pass from the return runway. The upper end of said arm 54 is bent laterally, as indicated at 51, said laterally bent portion serving as a shelf upon which a ball 58 (Fig. 4) may rest. The operator lifts a ball from beneath the board into channel 2| by pushing inwardly on finger piece 56, this operation serving to raise lifting arm 54 to carry a ball upwardly along guide-way 5,5 and. through an opening 59 formed in board l4. As the ball moves upwardly through the opening 59, it moves against a deflecting finger 6| which directs it to right, viewing Fig. 4, into channel 2|, the position or the ball in said channel being indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. A ball thus returned to channel 2| rolls downwardly to engage plunger 8 so that it may be again projected over the board.

In accordance with my invention a latch device is provided for preventing operation of the ball elevating mechanism during the interval in which panels 22 and 26 are in ball releasing position. If no means were provided for preventing return of a played ball to plunger l8 during the time when said panels 22 and 26 are in ball releasing position, the operator could play a ball continuously by merely holding in coin slide 34 so that panels 22 and 26 could not return to ball obstructing position. To prevent this I have provided means for latching lifting arm 54 when panels 22 and 26 are moved to releasing .position. In the embodiment shown this latch mechanism is formed as an integral part of auxiliary panel 26.

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that plate 26 extends to the left a distance sufficient to lap guide-way 55 in which lifting arm 54 moves. An opening 62 is formed in plate 26 and is so located that when said plate is in the position shown in Fig. 2, said opening 62 will be in alignment with guide-way 55, this position of the parts being clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. With panel 26 and opening 62 in the position of Fig. 5, arm 54 may be raised its full height to lift a ball to channel 2|, the ball passing through the opening 62 in panel 26. With panel 26 in its normal ball obstructing position, the operator is thus permitted to move lifting arm 54 through a full stroke to return a ball to channel 2|. However, as soon as the operator pushes inwardly on slide 34 the inner end thereof engages bracket 31 and shifts panel 26 to the left from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 4, in which latter position opening 62 is out of alignment with guide-way 55. In this position panel 26 obstructs lifting arm 54 and prevents a ball from being returned to channel 2|. It will be recalled that in the position of the parts shown in Fig. 4 panel 26, although in obstructing position with respect to lifting arm 54, is in non-obstructing position with respect to the balls on playing board I4, the openings 29 having been brought into alignment with the openings H. When panel 26 is in the position of Fig. 4 panel 22 will be positioned with the openings 25 in alignment with the openings 5 so that said panel 26 serves as a latch for the ball elevating device at all times when a ball is free to fall either through one of the openings l5 or one of the openings After the operator pushes inwardly on coin slide 34 to release a played ball from board 4, he cannot operate the elevating device until he has removed his hand from the coin slide so as to allow panels 22 and 26 to return to their normal obstructing position. If by chance elevating arm 54 happens to be held at the upper end of its stroke at the time coin slide 34 is pushed inwardly, panel 26 will move from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 4 to engage under the laterally bent portion 51 of said arm 54 thus preventingthe latter from being lowered, the position of the parts under these conditions being indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. The mechanism thus operates to latch the elevating arm 54 regardless of the position said arm may occupy at the time the coin slide is pushed in- Wardly.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pin ball game, the combination of a playing board having openings therein through which a ball may pass, a projector, a gate membermovably supported beneath the board and normally positioned to prevent passage of a ball therethrough, manually operable means for moving said gate member to ball releasing position, and an elevator for lifting a ball from beneath the board into position to be struck by the projector, means for operating the elevator while the gate member is in normal position, means operated by said gate member moving means for latching the elevator to prevent operation thereof while said gate member is in ball releasing a position.

2. In a pin ball game, the combination of a playing board having openings therein through which a ball may pass, a projector, a gate member movably supported beneath the board and normally positioned to prevent passage of a ball therethrough, manually operable means for moving said gate member to ball releasing position, and an elevator for lifting a ball from beneath the board into position to be struck by the projector, means for operating the elevator while the gate member is in normal position, means for preventing operation of the elevator while said gate member is in ball releasing position, said means comprising a latch element, means for holding said element in non-obstructing position relative to the elevator when said gate member is in its normal position, and means actuated by said gate member moving means for shifting said element into position obstructing movement of the elevator when said gate member is moved to therethrough, manually operable means for moving said gate member to ball releasing position, and an elevator for lifting a ball from beneath the board into position to be struck by the projector, means for operating the elevator while the gate member is in normal position, means for preventing operation of the elevator while said gate member is in ball releasing position, said means comprising a plate carried by said gate member and adapted to be moved by the latter to a position obstructing movement of the elevator when the gate member is shifted to ball releasing position.

4. In a pin ball game, the combination of a playing board having openings therein through which a ball may pass, a projector, a gate member movably supported beneath the board and normally positioned to prevent passage of a ball therethrough, manually operable means for moving said gate member to ball releasing position, and an elevator, including a lifting arm, for returning a ball from beneath the board into position to be struck by the projector, of means for latching said arm to prevent operation of the elevator while said gate member is in ball releasing position, said means comprising a latch element carried by said gate member and adapted to be moved by the latter into obstructing relation to said lifting arm when the gate member is shifted to ball releasing position.

5. In a pin ball game, the combination of a playing board having openings therein through which a ball may pass, a projector, a gate member movably supported beneath the board and normally positioned to prevent passage of a ball therethrough, manually operable means for moving said gate member to ball releasing position, and an elevator, including a lifting arm, for returning a ball from beneath the board into position to be struck by the projector, of means for latching said arm to prevent operation of the elevator while said gate member is in ball releasing position, said means comprising a plate carried by said gate member, said plate having an opening therein positioned to permit passage of the lifting arm therethrough when the gate member is in ball obstructing position, said opening being moved out of alignment with said lifting arm when the gate member is shifted to ball releasing position.

BERT E. MILLS. 

